President Clinton is expected to propose selling the Bonneville Power Administration to a private buyer or a consortium of local governments as part of his fiscal 1999 budget proposal, a move which could have dramatic impacts on the regional economy and Columbia River salmon recovery, the Seattle Times reported on Sunday.
The BPA generates low-cost hydropower from 29 dams in the Columbia River system and contributes up to $435 million a year toward salmon-recovery efforts. According to the Associated Press, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said last month that he would fight a proposal to sell the BPA.
But the prospect of auctioning off the agency has become more serious as Congress debates electricity deregulation. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that selling the federal government's generation and transmission assets could have a market value of $20 billion and save taxpayers as much as $6.7 billion over time.
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